The present invention relates to the field of saw mills, and more particularly to a saw mill with apparatus for controlling the position of the board being cut during and after the sawing action.
In certain portable saw mills, logs are located upon a bed and a head carrying a continuous saw blade is moved along the log to cut a board. As the cutting head returns to the start position, a return member projecting from the cutting head ejects the cut board off the cant (remainder of the log). Certain factors such as the length of the log, frictional variations in the wood and the extent to which the sawblade is away from level can all combine to cause the freshly cut board to be ejected in an off-axis pathxe2x80x94that is, be ejected off to one side instead of longitudinally off the underlying log. Severe variations in the ejected board path can, at the least, make it awkward and difficult to retrieve and stack the boards, or worse could jam the cutting head.
What is needed is mechanism to ensure that the board stays in the desired path during ejection.
Generally speaking, apparatus is provided for sawing lumber and more particularly to a portable saw mill with apparatus for controlling the position of the board being cut during and after the sawing action.
A saw mill includes a base frame having a front and a rear and being sized and configured to support a log; saw apparatus having a cutting blade and being connected with the base frame for horizontal movement in a cutting stroke from a start position near the front of the base frame to an end position near the rear of the base frame and in a return stroke back to the front of the base frame and being for cutting in a generally horizontal plane a board from the log; power apparatus for powering the saw apparatus; at least one pushback arm connected to the saw apparatus and being sized and configured to engage and eject the board from atop the log during the return stroke; and, a board guide apparatus extending generally forwardly from the saw apparatus and including a crossbar and plurality of fingers connected with the crossbar and positioned to engage and guide the board in a desired path as it is being ejected from the log, each finger including an upper link connected to the crossbar and a lower link hingedly connected with the upper link.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved portable saw mill.
Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment.